A/N: Lovely. After months of being on hiatus, this story returns as your lazy authoress gets an inspiration strike! Not many understood the exact way of why I placed English translations after the Japanese words. It’s not because they’re speaking both out at the same time ^^; it’s just merely a translation (the English one), a way I’ve seen Amy Tan do in her book (ah the title skips me for now.). So I decided to revert back to my old way of placing English translations in brackets (which means they’re not saying those out), and hopefully.. be happy people ! ^__^

Hot-air Surprise

“Suzuki? Why the hell did y’all bring kimonos into existence?!” Chéri complained, wincing as the two attendants pulled the obi tighter before they tying it.

Suzuki looked in the mirror at Chéri in surprise, as another lady was busy combing her hair into a traditional bun. She smiled.

“It shows who we are, Chéri-san.”

Chéri frowned as an attendant helped her slip her feet into the geta sandals – wooden platforms. “I suppose… but couldn’t y’all have chosen easier-to-wear ones, like…. the sundress for instance!”

“I am proud of it.” Suzuki answered curtly getting up and, wearing the geta sandals, walked out of the room.

Looking confused, Chéri stumbled after her as best as she could.  Suzuki’s been acting weird since yesterday when me and Mori got back. Wonder what’s on her mind? She mused before her lips spread into a wicked smile. Betcha Ken pissed her off! Huh, I bet that’s it! I’ll go offer my revenge services to her then! I wanna get back at him too, that idiot!

Suddenly, she tripped over the hem of her kimono and crashed to the floor, nose first. But first I gotta worry about getting to the main room in one piece.

~*~

When she’d finally reached the main room, the activities had already swung into action. In the middle of the room, just in front of her, several frail-looking girls in kimonos were prancing gracefully, holding wooden rackets.  Chéri saw they were trying to keep something that looked like a shuttle in the air.

Damn it, that looks like the English badminton to me! And how in the world can they prance like that when I can hardly move in this kimonos? –gasp- and those getas are an inch higher than mine!

Looking around, she spotted Suzuki across the room and clambered to her gratefully, not noticing a wooden step in front of her. Her foot caught with the step, and she teetered at the edge for a moment, her arms flailing wildly.

Just as she was about to topple, someone from behind reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her upright and into his arms.

Saved by the arm! Expecting Mori she snuggled happily against the guy’s chest and looked up to thank him. Her words died in her throat when she saw those violet-red eyes.

A small gasp rose when everyone in the room noticed the two of them. The girls had stopped and were gaping at them openly as the shuttle rolled on the ground unheeded.

Blushing furiously, they both pulled apart and avoided looking at each other, both not knowing what to say or do.

“Ken? What are you doing standing there, please bring in the honored guest immediately!” Mr. Ohgami’s frustrated voice bellowed out.

Still blushing, Ken reluctantly held out his arm. Chéri looked away.

“Shit, I’m not doing this for you, okay?” He muttered through the corner of his lips, grabbing her arm and pushing her firmly forward.

“Dammit, will you stop that? It hurts!” She whispered back, tripping hastily.

“Fine!”

A hush silence fell upon the room as they walked up slowly to where the Ohgami family were sitting, up front in the middle on wooden platforms. Around them were other platforms on which other invited families – Chéri’s assumption – sat on.

Doing a deep bow as Suzuki had taught her to, in front of Mr Ohgami, she muttered her greetings and apologies. With a smile on his pleasant face, Mr. Ohgami waved her to her seat beside Suzuki and ordered for the plays to resume.

Happily releasing Ken’s arm, she dug him in the ribs before stumbling up to take her seat. Ken shot her a dirty look as he walked to the other side.

Once Chéri was seated, Suzuki leaned over and giggled appreciatively.

“That was a good show! I’m sure now my brother’s got an infection for you!”

Chéri looked at her in disbelief. “That wasn’t on purpose! And the word’s affection, not infection!”

“No matter! You’ve got the girls all worked up and jealous!” Suzuki motioned around the room.

“What girls?”

But just then, Mori appeared at the door and Chéri forgot all about the girls, focusing her attention instead, on him.

Oh gods, I just can’t get my eyes off him! His long ponytail suits his mysterious demeanor exactly, and – those light gray eyes!!

Just then as Mori slipped into his seat, Mr. Ohgami stood up to speak.

She tuned him out as she started fantasizing about Mori. I wonder how my fingers would feel like, running along that strong chest of his and those arms… he could keep me covered…-

Suddenly she felt someone digging her in the side roughly. “Oww-what?!”

“And, I repeat, this is our honored guest, Chéri Clayton who has come specially from California, USA.”

At her name, Chéri automatically looked up and smiled, nodding a little as she debated whether she was supposed to stand up and make a speech.

“Am I supposed to stand?” she whispered over to Suzuki who shook her head and put a finger to her lips.

“Watakushi wa Nanami Tsukiyama  (I am Nanami Tsukiyama.)” A beautiful pale-faced girl with long dark hair stood with elegant poise as she bowed gracefully. Chéri gaped; Nanami’s dark purple hair contrasted sharply with her fair, almost white face and her black eyes.

Whoa. She has this exotic Oriental appeal; model agencies would be scrambling for her. Is this who they would call a true eastern beauty? Eew.

“Chiika Tanaka!” Chiika stood up, shooting a dangerous look at Chéri.

Oh I’m so scared. She muttered under her breath sarcastically.

“Mitsuki Aono.” Chéri turned at the voice and saw a girl at the opposite table bowing, before she looked up. The girl had mousy (yes mousy) dirt brown short hair and she wore a bored expression on her face.

Well, she mirrors exactly what I’m feeling right now. When will this damn thing end? My legs are cramping!-ow.. damn the pins and needles!

As Chéri tried unsuccessfully to ease her cramps by lifting each thigh up for a split second, Mr Ohgami started speaking again. “Thank you very much. I wish you girls all the best for the next 10 months, and I look forward to receiving one of you as my daughter-in-law. Aah, the food has arrived. Minna-san, itadakimasu. (Let’s eat, everyone)

Chéri paused, one thigh in mid-air as Ohgami’s words ran through her again. Receiving one of us as his daughter-in-law? ONE? Her mouth dropped open as she stared first at Nanami, Chiika and then Mitsuki.

Did he mean I have to fight these people to be Ken Ohgami’s wife?! Daddy, you’re dead meat!

~*~

Her geta sandals clumping clumsily on the wooden floors, Chéri half-dragged Suzuki down the hall, before she stopped, slid open the door, and literally threw Suzuki into her room.

“Suzuki, what is the meaning of this?!” She panted as she furiously hauled her sandals off. “Is he for real? I have to battle those girls for KEN?”

“Hai, Chéri-san.”

“But I don’t understand!” she wailed.

Suzuki giggled into her kimono sleeve softly before she patted Chéri on the shoulder. “I see you haven’t been listening to my father’s speech earlier. Let me explain then.”

“I’m all ears.” Chéri grumbled, rolling her eyes as she stretched herself on the floor.

“Our family, currently the seventh generation, comes from the traditional Ohgami line way back in history, so we have several rules that we adhere to, those that have been passed down by our ancestors. One of them is the question of marriage. The head of the family, is the only one allowed to choose suitable spouses for his sons and daughters, ‘specially, the sons, for they are the heirs in line to preserve our family’s name. In order to choose the perfect bride, my great grandfather had devised this ‘technique’ – to test several potential fiancées for one year on various specifications a bride of the Ohgami family must know, before settling on the final decision.”

Chéri felt her head spinning. Dear gods, this stuff is still allowed? Damn Chéri, your own father’s conspiring against you! “Suzuki, don’t the sons get a –“

“Nope; they have absolutely no say in it. And they’re only allowed one bride for a lifetime.”

“Oh my god.” Literally, oh my god. And to think, I’m being sucked into the traditional revelation! She rolled her eyes, her fingers twitching to strangle her dear old parents for the stupid decision of betrothing her before she could even open her eyes. “This is seriously shitty; I feel like I’ve been warped into the past. What the hell are those ‘specifications’?”

Suzuki chuckled again, crossing her legs and sitting down on the floor. “Well, first, the basic of being a Japanese bride is that you must know how to make tea. We often have tea ceremonies and a father’s pride is to have his daughter or his daughter in law perform the ceremonies smoothly and make the best tea his visitors have ever drunk. And there’s all the traditional cooking you need to know, as well as the ever-present flower arrangement skills…”

Chéri groaned in despair. “Flower arrangements?! I don’t even know the difference between a rose and a sunflower!”

“We haven’t even got on to the issue of choosing the right kimono designs and patterns yet…”

“Say no more, Suzuki!” Chéri got up. “I’ll fail with distinctions, I promise you.” She walked over to the door, her fingers sliding into the embedded door handle, about to slide open the screen when Suzuki suddenly called out to her.

“Wait; there’s one more thing. There’s the last competition which is held on the day of choosing itself, which contributes to half the score sheet.”

“I’m not sure I want to know what that is.”

“Well you have to, Chéri-san. You’ll be fighting out your sword skills with the other three competitors, because an Ohgami’s bride is required to be able to defend herself. The competition sometimes get a little rough though…. Chéri-san? Oh no… she’s gone out.”

Chéri stood outside, leaning against the screen in disbelief. So that was what Chiika meant by all these? The MATCHMAKING competition?! That goes on for one year and closes with a grand finale of showing your traditional sword skills? I don’t even know how to hold the damn sword.

…

Shit.

~*~

Ken pulled on his dark kimono with a sigh. Another day of festivities, another day of drenching in sweat in this stupid kimono. I’ll be glad when New Year ends and we return back to school. Not like I enjoy studying anyway; but it’s much better than staying in this stifled place. Not to mention that damn gaijin (foreigner)…

Ken scowled as he pulled on his obi and started tying it. No one had told him about choosing a gaijin as a fiancée for him. Well, shit, in this household no one ever told him anything. It was just like that saying –what was it?- oh yeah, to start digging a hole only when you needed to crap badly, or something along the lines of that.

And his older brother wasn’t helping at all, passing all the heir-duties and such to him, when it was his right, just because of some silly incident. Alright, he admit it, it wasn’t so silly, but the idiot was clearly shirking from his duties!

….

Actually, come to think about it, he didn’t mind it really.

That gaijin is one interesting person. He’d have fun tormenting the hell out of her in school when his dad wasn’t around. Yeah, he’d do just that.

Pleased, Ken slid open his door and walked out into the hall. The night festivities were about to begin; it was New Year’s eve after all. He strode to where a small breeze was blowing in; yellow lanterns with intricate tiger designs lined the outside ‘porch’, casting shadows over the dark grass. He could afford to take a walk, before going over to where the old men where (damn, he was sick of them).

As he walked around the fringe of bushes that lined the Ohgami’s property, he heard the faint swishing  of leaves and rolled his eyes. Mori, practicing again. Damn, that guy never lightened up. Shrugging, Ken walked into the shadows of trees; eager to move as far away as he could before his brother could decide to call for a duel with him. Suddenly he saw a shadow twitch, and before he could stop himself, bumped right into it.

Oh screw it. Today’s official Ken bump day.

A small hiss came from below him, and something latched onto his hand, dragging him away from the shelter of the trees, but thankfully, further away from Mori. As soon as they were out of sight and out of hearing, he dug his heels into the ground, causing his dragger to yelp and bounce back against him.

It had to be Chiika. No one else could drag him that far.

“Chiika you idiot, didn’t I say to leave me alone?” Even before the words finished tumbling out of his mouth, the moon shone down on them and he found himself staring into a pair of fiery blue eyes.

“You nearly burst my cover, idiot! And don’t compare me with that cheek of a girl!”

Ken ran his fingers through his hair, before realizing he had on a wig. “Oh it’s you. Well, lovely gaijin, what are you doing peeping on my brother in the first place?”

“I wasn’t peeping on him, I was just passing by! And my name’s Chéri, you country clod!”

“Then it wouldn’t have mattered if I ‘burst your cover’, right?”

“You’re really pissing me out, you know that?”

“Nope, you’re the one doing the honors to me.”

“Am not!”

“Are too!”

“Am not!”

“Are too.”

“Am not… -hey, who turned off the lights?”

“There were no lights to begin with.”

“Stupid bitch of a moon. I don’t want to be here with you.”

“But if you go off, you’ll never find your way back. There’re snakes, and werewolves around here you know.”

“-gulp- You’re kidding me. I’m going.”

“Stop it idiot, don’t go off in the dark like that- I said stop!”

“Am not!”

Ken was about to retort when he heard a frog’s croak, and then an ear splitting shriek and several indignant croaks. Then a splash. He burst out in laughter. She must’ve fallen into the pond.

He picked his way to where the frantic splashing was, treading carefully for it was still too dark to see. The splashing stopped just as he reached –to what he thought- the edge of the pond.

“Chéri. Where are you?” He called out, stretching a hand, trying to stop the bubbles of laughter from himself.

“Very funny.”

“Where are you? C’mon take my hand. I won’t laugh anymore.”

“You still are. And who wants to take your hand?”

But he could feel her fingers closing around his. He pulled her up, just as the moon burst from behind the clouds again, showing him a drenched, miserable-looking girl with half-undone blonde hair slipping from the bun, framing her face.

He sucked in his breath as he saw her. Somehow, she looked her best in unexpected situations. Ken noticed she was shivering as she glared back at him.

“You made me fall.” She growled, trying to squeeze the water from her sleeve.

“You walked away from me.” Ken replied back. He couldn’t take off his kimono; too tightly tied up, it was. He didn’t want her to get sick courtesy of him either. What could he do?

“Well, shit, you didn’t stop me!” Chéri muttered, trying to hug herself. She was really cold. And the damn breeze wasn’t helping either.

Seeing her stand like that, one shivering vulnerable girl, Ken finally made up his mind. Let her hate me for this, but I’m not taking any chances of her falling sick now. He walked silently towards her.

“Hell, this place is so bloody cold.” Chéri complained, stamping her feet a little to get rid of the squelching water in her sandals. She didn’t notce Ken slinking towards her until he was almost atop her, when she looked up. “Hey... what the fuck are you--!”

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, so close until he could feel her heartbeat. “Shut up. I’m doing this for you.”

“You’re molesting me!” she squealed, thrashing about in his arms. His hands tightened around her back. “just stop that. I don’t want you to fall sick, okay?”

She paused, her fists in mid-air. Was she hearing right? Her arch nemesis was saying something she thought utterly foreign in their vocabulary with each other. He actually cared if she fell sick or not?

She gazed up at him with apprehension, wondering if it was a joke.

He glanced down at her at the exact same time, and something crossed his eyes. Before she knew it, he was leaning down, his arms pressing her closer against him. His lips touched hers almost too suddenly, and remained there for a full moment before his tongue sought entrance, his teeth grazing against hers gently.

Why the hell am I not opposing this? Chéri, stop him! … Goddammit, why does he have to kiss that way?

Ken discreetly lifted his hand, noticing the green glow of his watch as she responded to him, giving his fiery kisses back.

00.00 a.m. Happy New Years Day, Chéri. You got that wish about kissing at midnight.